Klaas Vantornout wins Belgian cyclocross championship

14/01/2013

Klaas Vantornout has won his first national CX title! He thoroughly deserved the Belgian tricolor!

Vantornout was the first attacker of the day. It seemed he had to pave the way for Kevin Pauwels, but Sunweb-Napoleon Games had a different plan in mind. Klaas was clearly stronger than Kevin, and was allowed to take his chance. Due to the fast course it was very hard to break away, and a small peloton of 6 riders was formed, including 4 riders on a Ridley!

In a very exciting race, Albert tried to create a gap several times, but failed. In the last lap, 5 riders still had a chance to take the win: Albert, Peeters, Pauwels, Nys and Vantornout. Vantornout attacked again, forcing Peeters to chase with Albert and Nys in his wake. The lanky Sunweb rider quickly built a three-second lead going over the short, sharp climbs preceding the pit. By the time he shot out of it, he had a nice gap on Nys. Checking twice to see that he wasn’t dreaming, Vantornout turned to face the cameras and began his finish-line celebration well in advance of the actual line. Nys finished second, Pauwels 3rd. He was the second Ridley rider on the podium.

The Sunweb-Napoleon Games team has been riding a new Ridley X-Night since the WorldCup in Zolder. The frame is significantly lighter than its predecessor, without compromising stiffness. Furthermore, the geometry has also been slightly modified to better suit the needs of professional cyclists. Up to now, the bike has been used in 5 races, and winning 3. It gives the riders that little bit extra they need to take the win!